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Top tips to save fuel

By: Laura Claire Corson

1. Drive less

 It’s not that hard, especially if you live in an area with a good bus system. If you have two errands too far from your home to walk, but close to each other, drive to one then walk to the other. For leisure activities, choose options closer to home.

 2. Avoid rush hour

Stop and go traffic is terrible for your mileage and your engine.  If you can, go into work early or late, and leave the same amount early or late

3. Combine errands

 A little planning goes a long way.  Your car uses more gas when the engine is cold than when it is warm, and you'll save a lot of back and forth driving as well.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, several short trips all begun with a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a single, longer trip that covers the same distance.

4. Tune up your car

 The U.S. Department of Energy found that replacing a clogged air filter can increase your mileage by 10 percent, while replacing an oxygen sensor could result in an improvement as high as 40 percent. The department also discovered that inflating your tires properly can improve fuel economy by about 3.3 percent.  Replacing deep tread or big tires with good weather road tires can also reduce fuel use.

 5. Drive intelligently

 Don't accelerate rapidly. And hey, slow down on the highway. The Department of Energy claims every 5 mph you drive over 65 mph represents a 7 percent decrease in fuel economy.

 6. Carpool/rideshare

 Sharing is caring.

 If you have a regular commute schedule, carpooling is a fantastic option.  All you need to do is find people who live near you who have similar commute schedules. 

 7. Ride the bus

 There are so many positive reasons for taking advantage of public transportation. Riding the bus is a great way to help conserve fuel.  Bus service and routes are not ideally situated for everyone's work and home location, but major Wisconsin cities such as Madison and Milwaukee, have very comprehensive systems. Go to: www.ci.madison.wi.us/metro/ for Madison and http://www.ridemcts.com/ for more information on the Milwaukee bus routes.

 8. Use hills to your advantage

 You can turn your car into neutral when going down a hill. Then, you can just coast to the next one. Just remember to stay above the speed limit. You’ll get much better gas mileage, but if you’re on flat terrain (like much of Wisconsin), use cruise control to save gas.

 9. Sell your car

Do you really need it? Probably not. Save some money and help out the environment.

Source: Duke University Campus Greening Initiatives

www.duke.edu